James Stavridis is a retired United States Navy Admiral and the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe. He’s respected across party lines. Hillary Clinton vetted him as a possible running mate and Donald Trump considered him for Secretary of State before Stavridis withdrew his name from consideration. Now he’s publicly speaking out against Trump’s plan to hold a big military parade in Washington, D.C. From Time Magazine:
But now we have a President who evidently wants a military parade “like the one in France” — meaning their Bastille Day celebrations. I am very respectful of French culture and the French military, but the idea of a big, showy, expensive parade reminds me less of our French allies and more of the old Soviet Union “Who has the biggest missile?” extravaganzas, or the truly creepy North Korean jitterbug marching style galas, with the even creepier “young leader,” Kim Jung Un, urging his nation of sycophants on in wildly over-the-top applause, which has a clap-hard-or-die feel to it.
Now let me be honest – the Navy is no doubt the service that is least attuned to the idea of marching. And I am all for doing things that honor our brave troops, especially those who have fought so bravely in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa. But I would respectfully submit that ordering a spectacle down Pennsylvania Avenue is not the best option. The last time we did a big parade like this was several decades ago and it cost over $10 million. Some estimates have the cost of a big one today topping $20 million, which would include moving all the tanks, missiles, jets, helicopters and military bands to Washington.
A low estimate of $20 million for the parade? No thanks. In fact, it is outrageous when you consider that an estimated 23,000 active-duty service members are reliant on SNAP benefits for food. Imagine if we used that money to help these men and women putting their lives on the line for this country instead of stroking the ego of a wildly unpopular draft-dodging president?
Admiral Stavridis goes on to note that a hot summer parade would only be more work for our troops and would create an unnecessary security risk for everyone involved:
For the men and women who have to put in the time planning, rehearsing, creating a security plan (a parade would be an extraordinarily juicy target for the Islamic State or Al Qaeda, by the way), setting up the stands, cleaning up, taking down the stands, and getting all their gear back home would, frankly, not be having a lot of fun. This would no doubt fall on a holiday weekend (Memorial Day, Fourth of July or Veteran’s Day, of course) so there goes their hoped-for and much deserved weekend break.
Would they enjoy walking down Pennsylvania Avenue and hearing the applause? I guess. Would they enjoy a nice weekend off at the lake, among their friends and families, even more? That’s my bet. We know that we have the best-funded, most war-experienced, highest morale military in the world. That is not a threat or a boast — it is a fact. We don’t need a puffy parade to show the world we can fight. Believe me, the world knows that already.
So, how about it? As Rep. Nancy Pelosi said, let’s give the troops a raise and drop the charade.